Ukraine Kills Russian Navy Deputy Commander Mikhail Gudkov in Kursk Strike

Major General Gudkov, a key figure in Russia’s Pacific Fleet and deputy commander of the Navy, reportedly killed in Ukrainian strike on command post near the Ukraine-Russia border.

Kursk, Russia — July 3, 2025:
In a major development in the ongoing conflict, Russian officials have confirmed that Major General Mikhail Gudkov, the Deputy Commander of the Russian Navy, has been killed in a Ukrainian strike in the Kursk region.

The strike reportedly targeted a Russian command post in the Korenevo district, which lies near the border with Ukraine. According to Russian and Ukrainian military Telegram channels, the attack killed Gudkov and 10 other Russian servicemen.

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Gudkov previously commanded the notorious 155th Marine Brigade of Russia’s Pacific Fleet, a unit accused of executing captured Ukrainian prisoners of war. Captured marines from the same brigade have admitted to participating in or witnessing such war crimes, with some of the atrocities documented in graphic videos.

The brigade had been relocated to Kursk in response to Ukraine’s surprise incursion in August 2024.

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Gudkov’s death marks one of the most high-profile losses for the Russian military since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. He had been awarded state honors for “bravery in military action against Ukraine” and was promoted to the post of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy by President Vladimir Putin in March 2025, according to the Kremlin.

Governor Oleg Kozhemyako of Russia’s Primorsky Krai, Gudkov’s home region, confirmed his death and said he had been “carrying out his duty as an officer.” He did not disclose further operational details.

There has been no official comment yet from Kyiv, though Ukrainian defense sources suggest the strike was a precision-targeted operation.

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This incident underlines Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to target senior Russian command personnel, even within Russian territory, as the war enters a new, more aggressive phase.

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Russia Ukraine War, Mikhail Gudkov killed, Ukrainian missile strike, Russian Navy, Kursk region attack, Ukraine Russia conflict, 155th Marine Brigade, Russian war crimes, Kremlin, Putin military loss, Korenevo command post strike